What Is Terrorism?
What is terrorism? By definition, terrorism means dragging innocent people into the fray to draw attention for your own purposes. That's precisely why it's unforgivable.
But I had tried to exclude as many innocents as possible. It was only supposed to be a car flipping over in the city, drugs spilling out, making the news, and ending there.
"Unmarked cargo truck! Stop immediately!"
Why was I caught up in this? And hanging from the damn door, no less.
"...This is really troublesome."
Police cars surrounded us on all sides. Officers were already on the shoulder, directing traffic with glowing batons. And to top it off—
"Driver, stop the vehicle at once and exit!" They had even mobilized a helicopter. How the hell was I supposed to handle this situation? Think. Think of an escape. Think of a way to get off this rampaging car and walk away unscathed... as if. Falling off would mean at least a serious injury.
"Stop the vehicle!"
You can scream your lungs out, officer, but the brake fluid's burst. Even if I wanted to stop, I couldn't.
...What now? How could I get out of this safely—
- Bang! Bang! Bang!
Oh, for fuck's sake. I looked toward the gunshots and heard police cars slamming on their brakes. If the situation escalated any further... wait, was that actually good? It would point even more arrows at Stahlleder. If only I wasn't hanging here like an idiot!
"Driver, if you refuse to comply, we will open fire— Goddammit!"
The car jolted violently. At the same time, a crushed police car veered off to the side. ...This thing had no intention of stopping. The engine roar suggested the driver wasn't easing off the accelerator at all. It was pushing through at any cost.
"Huuup...!"
In the end, I gripped the roof with all my strength and climbed on top. In the distance, I could see a wall of red and blue lights.
On the open road ahead, police were building a barricade. But what were they throwing across the asphalt? No way... were they setting spike strips to blow out the tires?
"Shit, shit, shit."
If the truck flipped here, I'd die too. Then everything I'd done would be pointless.
But if I started attacking the police, they'd hunt me down as well. Even if I survived, I might never see the light of day again. What the hell was I supposed to do?
- Clunk.
While I was fiddling with the bomb in my vest, searching for a solution, I heard a door open. Then one of the organization members climbed onto the roof.
"Huuu." He extended his arm, then settled into a focused stance. The way blue energy gathered around him didn't look promising. That posture—it looked like he was aiming to fire something.
- Thump.
The projectile shot forward like a bullet. The explosion wasn't small. It punched straight through the broken barricade as if it were nothing.
"...Huu." At least the truck hadn't flipped. But now the vehicle had to slow down. We weren't escaping the city or pushing deeper into it anymore.
The number of buildings was increasing. So was the number of police cars. Worst of all, more and more people on the streets were holding up cameras. None of it was good.
That's why I pulled out the modified stun gun and charged him.
"Kyaaaaaaaack!!!"
Electricity exploded from the two prongs buried in his shoulder. The man convulsed amid the acrid smell of burning. But maybe because he'd used his ability, his thrashing body was slowly going rigid.
- Thwack.
"Khuk?!"
Was that his final act of defiance? His wildly swinging head smashed into me. The helmet kept me from getting hurt, but the impact was strong enough to shove me back.
"You... bastard... weren't you dead?" "..."
I didn't answer. Instead, I prepared to strike his staggering form again.
"Do you even know whose property you're messing with, you fucker? At a glance, some nobody without any powers..."
That nobody without powers had driven him into a corner, though. Seeing him panting like that, one more shock should finish him... but.
"Fuck off, you—"
He'd been buying time too. He ducked immediately to dodge the incoming shot, then poured power into his bent knee.
The truck's metal panel rang out with a heavy thud. His palm scrambled to pull back the road in panic. But I was wielding a weapon longer than a fist.
- Crackle.
After a series of convulsions, the man finally lost consciousness and collapsed. His body began sliding slowly across the roof... Shit. I couldn't let him die. But I couldn't hold onto him either.
"Clear the way over there!"
That's when something came flying in from behind.
- Boom.
A heavy crash and cloud of dust. When I barely regained my balance and looked up, I saw a woman with magnificent white wings spread wide. On one arm, she carried another woman who looked terrified, wearing a much simpler costume.
"Don't worry anymore! The heroes are here!"
Damn it. They'd deployed heroes to this incident?
This was the kind of thing police usually handled. Even when ability users were involved, the police would just suppress them more aggressively. They didn't call in heroes like this. Especially not before Justice had started seriously boosting the heroes' status. Incidents like this never got hero intervention back then.
"Hero Angel! Sidekick Catena! You two have not been authorized for dispatch! Withdraw from the scene immediately!"
"We wouldn't have come if it looked like the situation was going to be handled properly!"
Aha. So they'd butted in on their own. Knowing that didn't make this situation any easier to navigate... Wait, Catena? The name sounded familiar. Was it because of that ridiculous "Mask Man" name Bianca had wanted to give me?
"Hey there, vigilante! That was incredibly brave! But we're here now, so it's okay. We'll get you out of this!"
"..."
"Leave that villain to Catena. Binding things is our specialty."
As I stared at the two of them, the memory slowly surfaced. The incident that had been dropped on Justice like a trial in the middle of the original story. The hero with broken wings and the sidekick who ended up a vegetable. So it was these two.
"Um... could you hand over that... villain...?"
I silently passed over the man I'd been holding. But I didn't take Angel's outstretched hand.
"What are you doing? The police will handle the truck. We came all this way to rescue you."
I shook my head.
"Don't worry, I have plenty of strength despite how I look. I've carried people heavier than you before, you know?"
"Crushed police cars. The ground tearing up as the truck rolls. People who might get hurt by shattered trees and flying debris." The truth was, accepting the heroes' rescue would have let me leave the scene easily. The problem was that every item on me screamed "more than a vigilante." My contacts were full of Bulph members, and then there were the burner phones and all the pipe bombs strapped to my vest.
I'd be investigated on the spot and thrown in jail. Even if not, I'd be under constant police surveillance.
"The truck needs to be stopped. Right here." So I forced out an excuse. I'd already drawn all the attention I needed. The show had to end here.
"Even using super strength would be the same. Telekinesis would be ideal... but anyone who could lift a truck this size is A-rank or higher. They're all busy elsewhere right now, and they wouldn't show up for something like this anyway."
"What about earth manipulators?" "Same issue. The 'serious' ability users who can control their powers continuously need official permission to intervene. We're already here without authorization just to save you, so how about a little cooperation?"
If they spread sand everywhere or turned the road into a quagmire, it would effectively slow the truck. Since they'd intervened without permission, they must have accepted some risk. But then how to stop it? How could I stop it while slipping away unnoticed?
- Clank.
At that moment, the heavy sound of chains rang out. The metallic click of links connecting.
"Lady Angel, suspect secured."
"If you're ready, we can leave. Hurry up."
Chains? That thick? Where the hell had they come from? Was that why she was called Catena...?
"Is generating steel chains your ability?"
"Ah, yes. I can connect objects together, or link my hand to something else..."
"I said get on already! Why are you dragging this out?!"
At Angel's loud scolding, Catena closed her mouth, looking nervous. Their relationship didn't seem particularly good. Still... connecting objects to objects. In that case, maybe I could end this situation with a dramatic flourish.
"Police car."
"What?"
"What if we connect the police car to this truck?"
"What the— Hey. Didn't you hear me? This is unauthorized intervention. If we waste any more time, we'll have to go to the police for questioning. If they say we interfered with their operation, this will blow up!"
"It would be different if we helped. Especially if we safely stopped a rampaging cargo truck."
What was with Angel? Her personality was nasty as hell. Just because she had blonde hair and white wings didn't make her an angel.
"I... connect the truck and police car?" "Shut up. We're leaving." But Catena looked somewhat interested. As a sidekick, an opportunity to draw attention must have seemed appealing. That was what I'd been aiming for, honestly.
"Angel will safely subdue the villain in the driver's seat. Catena will connect the truck to the police cars to act as a brake."
"The brakes— Are you an idiot? We subdue the driver and make him hit the brakes. Ah, why didn't I think of that?"
"The brake fluid is leaking. The brakes aren't working."
"Ha, what, you heard that? While riding on top of a moving truck? With all this wind noise?!"
...Yeah. How had I heard it? The answer was that I'd used my ability. And because it was something I'd done.
"Last chance. If you don't get on, we'll abandon all three of you, so figure it out yourself."
"Even if it's unauthorized, it wouldn't look good for a hero to run away. It would damage your reputation. Especially for a hero with low recognition."
"What? You—"
Aha. That one struck home. And Catena... had become completely absorbed in the idea.
"Since it's come to this, let's cooperate. A hero and her sidekick working together to stop urban terrorism. It wouldn't be a bad story for you at all."
She was even nodding now. The vote was two against one. In that case...
"I'll deal with you later."
Her voice was half-filled with resentment. But the fact that she sat down anyway meant the initiative had shifted to me.
"Hero Angel, Sidekick Catena. I'll tell you what to do from here on out."
It was time to put a loud, decisive period on this whole mess.